ECRL berpotensi mula operasi Disember

Menteri Pengangkutan Loke Siew Fook is confident that the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) can start operations as early as December this year, a full month earlier than the target of January 2027. The Transport Minister is currently investigating ways to streamline and shorten the testing and commissioning process, particularly for the Fault-Free Run (FFR), without compromising safety.

"If everything proceeds smoothly, we are confident that ECRL operations can commence by December this year, rather than early next year." He added that they are exploring how to make the process more efficient and reduce the required time for ECRL operation kick-off. The FFR typically takes around two to three months, but the ministry is looking into how that timeframe can be reduced based on comparisons with processes in other countries.

He stressed that any efforts to accelerate the process would not compromise safety, including all 10 sets of ECRL trains that need to undergo FFR before service commences. "Of course, we will not take any risks. We are making it convenient without compromising safety. Once we reach FFR, all previous tests have already passed," he explained.

SIT, which began this month, will test the integration of trains with electrical systems, signaling, and other components along the tracks before entering the FFR phase. Five ECRL trains have arrived in Malaysia, with the rest to follow in the coming months, all having undergone various tests in China. "We have 10 sets of trains, each carrying up to 425 passengers.

Therefore, if one set operates three trips a day, the capacity could be around 10,000 passengers per day," he said. The ECRL stretch of 665km connects Kota Bharu, Kelantan with Gombak, Selangor for Phase 1, with the construction project involving Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Selangor. The timeline for ECRL approval had previously been set for December 2026, with commercial operations starting in January 2027.

The minister noted that workforce preparations for ECRL have been underway for nearly two years, including training in China, and most of the workforce is now in the final stages of readiness before operations begin.